So ALOT has transpired since my last blog. I am the worst at maintenance. It's why my hair is never sharply styled, my clothes never quite fit perfectly, and my eyes are sometimes bleary. It's a wonder how my plants survive me. It's why I'm a painter and not web-savvy. But I trudge along. Anyhoo, here goes:
I've just started my third quarter of grad school at The University of Chicago. It looks extremely promising and already hinging on an overwhelming load of work.
Matt and I just returned from Mexico. We met his parents at their time share in Cabo. You can't knock a free vacation. We needed it severely. Matt hasn't had more than a weekend off work for a year and a half! Our first vaca since the honeymoon to PR in Nov 2007. My favorite moments: went kayaking in the ocean and enjoyed a fresh mango-on-a-stick doused with lime on the beach. We endured a time share pitch from Jerry for free massages. Apparently Jerry is wise sage as well as salesman. As he tried deduce our economic status (and thus his ultimate pitch) he entertained with stories of his ski junkie years (pre-golf junkie years). As a young adult, his guiding life force was going skiing as much as humanly possible. He would go to the highest mountain point and look down viewing everything at the scale of ants. That way, any problems were put into perspective and he knew he could handle them. Well, Jerry, thanks for the ominous message cause that's basically what happened to us in Mexico. It gave us healthy perspectives on all the issues that we've been dealing with. And we're better for it. But no thanks on the timeshare.
The group of students from U of C have returned from Cuba. I can't wait to learn more about their trip and the culture there. I decided to forgo this trip in lieu of Mexico. Hope I made the right decision. I think so. *Thanks Dan!*
A few days before we departed to Mexico, Matt got a huge surprise! He was accepted as an intern at St. Petersburg General Hospital in St. Pete, FL. Starting this July he'll be in Florida for one year. The intern year is the name for the first year of residency. We're not sure if he'll stay in St. Pete all 6 years of residency. Right now he's only committed to one. I hope that this unanticipated positioning is nothing but goodness for him. He needs to meet a doc that is an understanding and outstanding mentor. I'll be remaining in Chicago finishing grad school. I graduate June 2010 so we at least know the extent of our long distance term. His brother Andy will continue to rent our house in Kansas City. What a precarious predicament! If we can just balance the books this year, we'll turn out okay.
I have some interesting painting opportunities coming up. I hope that I have been making the right decisions by accepting the right ones and foregoing others.
Today, a trip to the Green Market in Lincoln Park Nature Museum with my friend Chris was much needed. I tasted some of the best cheese since I was in France. And picked up some dense wheat bread and lamb meat. Green curry with lamb tonight! Yum! Even more than the market, the conservatory was A-Mazing. Can't wait to go back. We plan to colaborate on a book revolving around the topic of empiricism. We agreed, the conservatory is THE best place to discuss such a topic. We then enjoyed the White Elephant thrift store. Got some kick ass scarves- one with poisin ivy, not a Heremes. Then some high-design in the form Jake's in the Gold Coast. After that, Urban Outfitters was a depressing let down. "The Mc'ie D's of things you wear." We resolved, never again. I read "Society of the Spectacle" on the two and half hour (yes 2.5 roundtrip) train ride. Yuck.
Already, I am looking forward to the summer here in Chicago. Apparently people praise the summer as much as they curse the winter. So the disposition balances out. I am being exposed to so much information that it's impossible to really absorb and deal with it as much as I'd like. Therefore I can't wait to hunker down in my studio this summer for some really in-depth painting sessions.
